Discuss Lessons in French by Hilary Reyl:What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

Created: 10/17/14

Replies: 12

Posted Oct. 17, 2014
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davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 1691

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What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

The working relationship between Lydia and Kate is a maze of blurred lines. Did you find it dysfunctional? How would you describe Lydia's personality with respect to Kate? Do you think Kate betrayed Lydia? Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

Posted Oct. 21, 2014
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JAKL1

Join Date: 12/06/12

Posts: 55

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RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

I left the corporate world and took a no nonsense part time job just to keep my mind in tact. When I was in the corporate world it was all about team work and team ideas. Currently, I work for a 30 something professional that has the idea of her employees as slaves. I run errands for her and her family in between my business duties. I was very shocked how this type of behavior is allowed in this day in age and at my employer's age. I, like Kate, just grin and bear it, why because I think we like the challenge of seeing if we can make a difference and change some attitudes. Like Kate, I also was caught in the middle of a business dispute, that was hard to handle you want to do the right thing but also you want to stay true to your employer.

Posted Oct. 21, 2014
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laurap

Join Date: 06/19/12

Posts: 223

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RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

Lydia is the passive-aggressive boss from hell - terribly manipulative and self-centered, and always looking out for number one with no thought as to her impact on others. It's hard to be loyal in such a situation , because the definition of what constitutes loyalty changes moment-to moment. Interestingly, the other characters weren't much better. Clarence, Olivier, Portia, Justin, and Claudia all were involved is manipulative misrepresentations.

Posted Oct. 23, 2014
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LeahLovesBooks

Join Date: 04/08/14

Posts: 47

RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

If Katie had been a less needy, less of a people pleaser type of person with a stronger sense of self, she would have sniffed out Lydia and NEVER had worked for her. My hunch is Lydia abuses and exploits. The reader saw it up front when she presented as a fait accompli Katie's salary, stating it was all the magazine allowed. Bull.

Posted Oct. 23, 2014
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tswaine

Join Date: 09/14/11

Posts: 48

RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

Kate and Lydia's relationship was not exactly the greatest! Lydia was a demanding boss and never thought of Kate, she just thought about herself. It didn't matter to Lydia if Kate had plans one night, Lydia wanted to get the work done and was thinking about that. I have not had a boss like that, thank goodness, but I have had friends whose bosses were like that. They were always thinking about how to get ahead and not thinking about their employees. And I do think it is hard to stay loyal to your employer when you know that isn't the right thing to do.

Posted Oct. 26, 2014
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pennyp

Join Date: 03/22/12

Posts: 330

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RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

I did not care for Lydia, nor her management style. I think bosses like that (and I have had a couple) fail to get the best from their employees. I don't think an older more self assured person would have put up with Lydia for a minute, no matter how great she was. To me, Lydia was sort of a legend in her own mind,and once she was not able to produce her art, there would have been nothing left of her. This made me wonder what type of person she would have been had she not had her art.

Posted Oct. 27, 2014
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Hulananni

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 42

RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

I worked as an admin asst. to the owner of a very small yacht sales office. He was so self-absorbed he didn't see me nor the two sales people. I quit one day by taking my paycheck to the bank. Cashed it (I knew the state of the company bank account.) back to the office. Employer gone. Left the keys to the office on his desk and never looked back. 2 days later one of his colleagues saw me on a boat dock and congratulated me on leaving and asked why it had taken so long.

Posted Oct. 29, 2014
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malindan

Join Date: 05/10/12

Posts: 48

RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

Bosses like Lydia are able to sniff out their "victims". They look for individuals who are young and vulnerable. Kate was not strong enough to stand up for herself. She allowed Lydia to convince her that she would benefit from her "experience" working with a great "artist. Lydia has the need to belittle others in order to feel powerful and in control. Her character was despicable but there are others out there in the real world who are just like her. I think we have all had at least one difficult boss/employee relationship.

Posted Nov. 01, 2014
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theresex

Join Date: 05/21/11

Posts: 18

RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

I agree with malindan that "Lydia-type bosses" have a nose for potential victims and and take advantage by making the work sound just perfect for the Kates of the world. Having worked decades for a large corporation, I saw this played out continually and wasn't immune to it myself when I first hired on. Eventually, one learns to work around them, but they are very powerful.

Posted Nov. 01, 2014
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mariannes

Join Date: 12/17/12

Posts: 206

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RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

Kate had a strange relationship with Lydia and her family. On the one hand, they took her to eat with them, had her live in their home so she was involved in their personal lives and introduced her to their friends. On the other hand, Kate paid rent and nobody was really concerned about her, although they pretended to be. I think that Kate, being so inexperienced, thought she was more a part of the family than she really was. I've had a difficult boss, but I wasn't personally involved like Kate.

Posted Nov. 02, 2014
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judyw

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 44

RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

Lydia was very impressed with herself; she also sought to manipulate Kate (knowing she had made plans with friends, yet insisting Kate must finish work after hours). Lydia was unable to control her children, and Kate was malleable because she (Kate) so wanted to please Lydia.

Posted Nov. 05, 2014
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Krystal

Join Date: 08/14/14

Posts: 6

RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

I think it was very dysfunctional but it happens all of the time with a working relationship. It's especially hard when there's more of a connection than just business. It's hard to be personally involved.

Those companies with bosses like Lydia must have high turn-over rates!

Posted Dec. 03, 2014
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sharalynnep

Join Date: 12/04/11

Posts: 49

RE: What did you think of the working relationship between Lydia and Kate. Have you ever had experience with a similarly fraught employer-employee dynamic?

Fortunately I never had to work for anyone like Lydia. Kate was the perfect person for Lydia to manipulate....young...alone...away from home...needy....